MLS Kickoff 2008

Does anybody care? Seriously.

Now, I'm a soccer fan...a huge soccer fan to be more precise. But I have to tell you that the domestic soccer league we have in the United States is, to quote our English cousins, absolute rubbish.

Soccer is never going to be as popular as the big three sports (lets face it, hockey is no longer in that discussion) but it does have its die hards in this country, like myself.

The problem is us die hards are watching the European version of the game most of the time, and on occasion, the South American version. We see the Manchester United's, the AC Milan's, the Real Madrid's on a weekly basis.

It's not to degrade any players in MLS, but good god man, the game is painful to watch in this country. The pace is too slow, the players are just not fun enough to watch, and the commentary of the games is so poor that you want to cry.

An example of English Premier Commentary -- courtesy Martin Tyler and Andy Gray of Sky Sport.

An example of ESPN's abomination of soccer coverage. How the hell do you do an interview during the freaking game?!?

Everybody was expecting David Beckham to make the MLS this international powerhouse. Here's the problem: for all Beckham's skill as a player, he uses just his right foot, is only effective crossing his balls (hehe) from the right side and good at free kicks and corners. Not much else. He's not a guy that scores 30 goals a season -- he's appreciated more by a refined connoisseur of the game.

Unfortunately, America is a bit short on that type of fan for the MLS game.

Notice two other things. The passion of the game. When Stevie Gerrard hits that ball into the back of the net for Liverpool, the stands, which are nearly right on top of the field, explode in, to quote the great Ray Hudson "explode in orgasmic jublation."

The MLS game, the stadium is a ways off the pitch and the atmosphere is mild. Now, listen, to compare an MLS friendly against Celtic versus a Champions League game with everything on the line for Liverpool is unfair -- but the point is simple. We have no idea how to cheer this game.

There are good players that have come out of MLS -- Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride, Eddie Johnson, even Freddie Adu, the oldest looking 18 year-old ever have all made some type of mark abroad. We need this league to become good because...well, I just think it's a travesty that the most popular game in the world is so unpopular here.

Now, I'm going to start my own petition to get Ray Hudson to commentate MLS games. Because that's what these games need -- flair, passion, pizzazz, all the elements of the the beautiful game that need to be described in a manner that we can feel.

Man, Dave O'Brian sucks at any sport he commentates.

For anyone that cares MLS kicks of March 28th or 29th. And no, this is not bitterness by me because MLS didn't want me as an intern because the human resource person didn't want to take my calls.